Dredger



(No Model.)

s. P. HEDGES.

' DREDGER.

N0..514,829. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

Ill/Ill III/III m: NAIIONAL umuamumms COMPANY. wAsNINawN. o. c.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL P. HEDGES, OF GREENPORT, NEW YORK.

DREDGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,829, dated February13, 1894.

Application filed December 20, 1892. Serial No- 455,834. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. Havens, of Greenport, in the county ofSuffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Dredges, of which the iollowing is a full, clear, andexact descripion.

My invention relates to an improvement in dredges and it has for itsobject to provide a means whereby the dipper arm will be under theentire control of one individual, the construction being such as toenable that individual to swing the crane in any desired direction,control the upward movement of the dipper arm, the inward and outwardmovement of the arm, and likewise the downward or plunging movement toreach the soil to be removed, the operator being also enabled to holdthe dipper arm in a fixed position while the dipper is receiving itsload.

Another object of the invention is to construct the dredge in anexceedingly simple,

I durable and economic manner.

side view of the friction gear located upon.

the crane and adapted for the control of the dipper arm. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section taken'through the friction gearing. Fig. 4 is avertical section through the gearing; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of guidepulleys employed in connection with the hoisting rope or chain. I

The frame A is designed to be portable and readily placed upon a floatB, one end of the frame extending over the edge of the float.

, In the construction of the frame its body portion a is preferably ofan A-shape, and is vertical, the A section of the frame connecting withuprights a at its sides, and the said A section and uprights jointlysupport an upper cross head section a consisting ordinarily of twoparallel beams 10 and 11, spaced a predetermined distance apart. Theframe is angular or L-shaped in general contour, embracing in additionto its vertical portion a rear horizontal portion which rests upon thefloat, as shown in Fig. 1, the two portions of the framebeing'connec'ted by suitablebraces 12. The uprights a, are adapted asguides for spuds 13, the spuds being used to anchor the float, as shownin Fig. 1. In the center of the A-frameashaft14,isjournaled,the bearingfor the upper portion of the shaft being preferably placed upon thelower beam 11 of the upper cross head a while the lower end of the shaftis held to revolve in suitable bearings placed upon the connecting barat the lower portion of the A -frame. A crane 15, is attached at itsrear end to the upper portion of the shaft 14; and the crane is madewith a longitudinal slot 16, extending nearly from end to end thereof.The crane is held in an upwardlyinclined position by means of braces 17,which braces are secured at their upper ends to the sides of the craneand at their lower ends to opposite sides of the lower portion of theshaft. The shaft 14, is ordinarily made polygonal in cross section,except where it enters its bearings, and the crane and the shaft arerevolved at will through the medium of a lever 18. The lever isbifurcated at its outer end, the shaft passing through the bifurcatedportion of the lever, while the outer end portion of the lever issecured to the crane braces 17, as is best shown in Fig. 1. The lever is'pivotally connected with the crane braces, so

that it may be raised and lowered, while when the lever is carried indirection of either side of the frame the'shaft also is forced to turnand carries the crane with it.

The pp y be f any suitable or approved construction; preferably,however, it is provided with a drop bottom 19 and a bail 20, carryingthe block 21 over which the hoist rope or chain 22, is passed. Thedipper is provided with a handle or arm 23, securely fastened to it, andthis handle or arm is provided in its upper portion with a longitudinalslot 24, and upon the inner face of the dipper arm or handle a rack 25,is formed, or attached. The slot 24, is produced in the dipper arm inorder to permit the hoist rope or chain to pass through the arm. One endof the hoist rope or chain is secured to the crane and passes downwardfrom the crane over the block 21, and thence upward over a frictionpulley 26, located in the crane; and after leaving the pulley the hoistrope or chain passes through the slot in the dipper arm, thence betweentwo guide pulleys 27 and 28, located upon the upper member of the crosshead a and finally the hoist rope or chain passes downward over a thirdguide pulley 29, best shown in Fig. 5, to an engine or other hoistingmechanism.

The crane carries the friction gear E, and this gear is preferablylocated between the central portion of the crane and its inner or lowerend. The friction mechanism consists of a box 30, secured between themembers of the crane, and this box carries at top and bottom of itsouter or forward end friction rollers 31, while at its rear or inner endthe box has journaled in it the trunnions of a pinion 32, the pinionbeing located opposite the space between the two friction rollers.Therefore, as a matter of convenience, the box 30 is made somewhat of atriangular shape, its con tracted end facing inward, as shown in Figs. 2and 4; and the space between the pinion and the rollers 81, is justsnfiicient to receive the dipper arm 23, the outer or smooth portion ofthe arm engaging with the two friction rollers, while the rack 25,engages with the pinion 32. As two rollers are employed they have equalbearing upon the dipper arm, and cause that arm to engage evenly withthe pinion.

Upon one trunnion of the pinion 32, which extends beyond the side of thecrane, a friction brake wheel 33, is firmly secured, the said frictionbrake wheel consisting of a pulley having a grooved peripheral surface,the said groove in the periphery being adapted to receive a brake strap34 of spring metal, and one end of the brake strap is attached to theouter end of the lever 35, said lever being fulcrumed between its centerand outer end upon the crane, while the other end of the brake strap issecured to the lever at the rear of its fulcrum, as is best shown inFig. 2, while the extreme inner end of the lever 35, is connected by alink 36, with the main brake lever 18, as shown best in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the device, after the dipper is loaded the hoistingmechanism is set in operation and the dipper and arm elevated. Justprior to the elevation of the dipper and arm the attendant presses downupon the brake lever 18, thereby applying the friction brake, and whenthe dipper arm is raised it will be elevated without moving inward orrearward. Vhen the dipper is to be brought close into the frame orimmediately beneath the crane, pressure upon the brake lever isrelieved, and as the dipper arm is drawn upward it is likewise carriedrearward, the rack meshing with the pinion 82. When the dipper has beenbrought to a proper position horizontally, the brake lever is againapplied, and by moving the brake lever laterally the crane may be swungin direction of either side of the float so as to dump the load from thedipper wherever required. The load being dumped the hoisting rope orchain is slackened, the attendant raises the lever, and the dipper armwill assume a vertical position, and the dipper drops to engage with thematerial to be removed, and when such an engagement is made the brake isagain applied, and by that means the dipper arm is held in a fixedposition while the dipper takes its load. The drop bottom of the dipperis closed by its striking the water as the dipper descends.

From the foregoing description itis evident that the dredge is under theperfect control of a single person, and by means of one lever the brakemay be applied or removed and the crane swung in whatever directionfound most desirable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a dredge or like device, the combination with aframe and a shaft journaled therein, of a crane supported by the shaft,a dipper arm carried by the crane, a brake in engagement with the dipperarm, and a lever having a slot which receives the shaft and connectedwith both the crane support and brake, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a dredge or like device, the combination, with a frame and a shaftjournaled in an upright position therein, and a crane attached to andcarried by the shaft, of a dipper arm having vertical movement in theframe, a friction brake carried by the crane and adapted for engagementwith the dipper arm, a lever pivotally attached to the crane andengaging the shaft, and a connection between the lever and the frictionbrake, substantially as shown and described, whereby the lever is usedboth for swinging the crane and for applying the brake, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a dredge or like machine, the combination, with a frame, ashaftjournaled in an upright position in the frame, a crane attached tothe shaft, and braces connected with both the crane and the shaft, of adipper arm, a brake engaging with the arm, a lever fulerumed upon thebraces of the crane and passing rearward in engagement with the sides ofthe shaft, and a connection between the lever and the friction brake, asand for the purpose set forth.

4. In a dredge or like machine, the combination, with a frame, a shaftjournaled in an upright position in the frame, a crane secured to theupper portion of the shaft, braces connecting the crane with the lowerportion of the shaft, and a lever pivoted to the braces and slotted toreceive the shaft, of a brake mechanism consisting of a box located inthe crane, carrying friction rollers and a pinion, a brake wheelconnected with the pinion, a lever mounted upon the crane,a strap brakecarried by the lever and engaging with the duced upon one face, engagingwith the pinfriction wheel, and a link connection beion, as and for thepurpose specified. tween the upper lever and the main lever connectedwith the braces of the crane, and Witnesses SAMUEL HEDGES' 5 a dipperarm having sliding movement in the J M ol'ml ON RAYNOR 7 box between thefriction rollers and the pin- L'EWELEN F TERRY ion, the said dipper armhaving a rack pro-

